a great thought is in chapter 13 when Mack had been to see the judge behind the waterfall, he comes out and is talking with Jesus. He says;
"Was i seeing heaven when i was seeing missy? it looked a lot like here."
"Well, Mack, our final destiny is not the picture of heaven you have stuck in your head--you know, the image of pearly gates and streets of gold. Instead, it's a new cleansing of this universe, so it will indeed look a lot like here."
"Then what's with the pearly gates and gold stuff?"
"That stuff my brother," Jesus began lying back on the dock and closing his eyes against the warmth and brightness of the day, "is a picture of me and the woman I'm in love with."
...
"It is a picture of my bride, the church: individuals who together form a spiritual city with a living river flowing through the middle, and on both shores trees growing with fruit that will heal the hurts and sorrows of the nations. And this city is always open, and each gate into it is made of a single pearl..." He opened one eye and looked at Mack. "That would be me!" He saw Mack's question and explained, "Pearls, Mack. The only precious stone made by pain, suffering, and - finally - death."
what a beautiful description of the C-hurch. i made the comment, i would love to find a church like that! one member said something like, well if you do, there wouldn't be any people in it. just jokingly. but it got me to thinking... is it possible to find something like this now? a church like this now? not perfect, but similar. if these verses in 2 Peter are true, wouldn't it be true that we ought to be looking more and more like the church that is being described in Revelation 21-22? I'm not saying it will look exactly like that, but shouldn't the C-hurch be looking more and more like that?
Maybe it is? I don't know. I'm just asking is it possible for a local new testament body to look more and more like this description?
Posts
2 comments:
If you find it, let me know... I want to go there.
I guess - I really do not believe it is possible....and maybe that is the problem. If we really don't believe it - how can it ever be a part of our lives? Each time we get disappointed in church situations - it becomes harder to see the true model of what the church is supposed to look like. That is because we look to much to people and not enough to God. Right now I am in the place where I just want to go to church,not get involved, and not know anything that is going on. How does that help in forwarding the "cause" of a true NT church? The short answer is it doesn't!!! But I am with Leslie - it would be nice to try. I have read some about Francis Chan's church and think he has some of it right.
Post a Comment